High-tension magneto ignition apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



A. M. PATTON. HIGH TENSION MAGNETO'IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL OOMBU STI 0N ENGINES.

APPLIIOATION FILED APILG. 1909.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

//w vvv 70 7? "a pawl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MARCUS PATTON, or BELFAST, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR ro CHAMBERS morons LIMITED, 0F BELFAST, IRELAND.

HIGH-TENSION MAGIIETO IGNITION APFARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Trotters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.,

Application filed April 6, 1 903. Serial No. 488,278.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXAN ER MARCUS PATTQN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Cuba street, Belfast, Ireland, have invented oer;- tain new and useful Improvements Conneot'ed with High-Tension Magneto Ignition Apparatus for Internal-Combustionv Engines,-of which the following is a specification. Y s This invention relates to the kind of driving connection between an internal combustion engine and its magneto igniter,

wherein a spring, arranged vbetween the driving part of the motor and the armature shaft,'is put under tension during the period that the latter is held stat1onary by mechanism, and is'relaxedcausing the armature to rotate rapidly and generate an intensive spark, after the pawl mechanism has been released, preferably-by cen 'trifugally' acting devices, the pawl remaining inoperative while the motor' rotates at highspeed. I The object of the invention is to provide a simplified constructionwhich is at the same time very eflicient. i

,The present invention consists in an improved driving connection of the kind re-' ferred to, wherein the ends of the spring are secured to the armatiire and driving shafts respectively, and the release of the pawl for the purpose of starting the rota tion of the motor is effected by a lever which connects one end of-the said spring to the driving shaft.

The invention also consists in providing a pawl or pawls, depending from the armature shaft inside a ratchet secured to the stationary part of the magneto.

The invention further consists in the improved driving connections between an internal combustion engine and its magneto igniter hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in' section, illustrating one form of connection ac cording to the invention; Fig. 2 being a cross section illustrating a ratchet and pawl in detail; Fig.3 a front elevation,.and Fig;

4 a'sectional plan corresponding to Fig. 1. In carrying out the invention according to one mode a hollow ratchet, at, having a number of ratchet slots, 1), according to the shaft, e, and carries a pawl, f,

arms, '2', .to-apin (7") formed integral'wit-h the paw small spring,

number of firingv points per revolution is secured to any convenient stationary partof the frame of the magneto machine, c. sleeve, (Z, is mounted upon the armature adapted to engage in one or other of the slots, 6, under is being slowly rotated. The engine shaft or other driving shaft, h, is provided with two arms, 2', to which springs, k, -are at tached, the latter being also secured to the sleeve, d, for instance by means of hooks, a; When the engine shaft, h, is stationary and also' under normal running conditions the arms, 2', are in contact with projections or stops, m, upon thesleeve, d, but when the shaft, ,k,'is slowly rotated, as for instance when "the engine is beingstartejd by hand, the arms, 2', move away from the-stops, m, and tension the springs, 70, until one of the strikes a balance weight, a, keyed f, and disengages the latter fromits respective slot, Z), in the ratchet, a. The

ratchet is thereupon released and rapidly rotates underthe action of the springs, in,

' so that arapid rotation is imparted to the armature shaft, e, If the engine shaft, h. then rotates at a high rate the centrifugal force acting upon the-weight, n, will cause 7 the latter to overcome the 'action' of the able to. overrun the ratchet, a, so that the sleeve, (Z, can bedirectly driven through the arms, 2', and springs, k. i ;..v

- In the positions of theparts when thei'pawl, f,

cate the positions at 'the moment of'release.

the action of a spring, 9, when the shaft, 6,

g', and-the pawl, f, will be is inengagement are indicated in full lines whereas-the dotted lines'indi- The releasing arm, 2', may be so arranged that it willmove forward away from the projection, m,.through an angle of about 45 before it'strikeslthe balanceweight, a, and releases the pawl, f. y

;The operation of this mechanism is as follows :-The magneto machine being timed in the ordinary-way so that the spark occurs at the completion of the compression stroke of the engine, the ratchet, a, is so set that thepawl f, engages with it about 45 before this point. As soonas thepawl, f, engages the ratchet, a, the armature and spindle, e, are locked, whereupon the driving shaft, h, revolving with the engine,the ,arms,

i, leave the stops, m, and tension the springs,

a. The driving shaft, h, with its arms, 2', must be set to engage the balance weight, a, connected with the pawl, f, so as to throw it out of engagement when the engine reaches the top of the-compression stroke. When the pawl, 7 is released the armature is free to move forward" of the springs, in, the latteriat once bringing the stops,- m, into engagement with the arms, 2'. From the original setting of the magneto it will be seen that at the end of the movement of the armature the primary circuit must be ruptured before or at the moment that the stops, m, come in contact with the arms, 2', and owing to the rapidity of the movement, a good spark is insured. It will be also noticed that should the spark controlling lever on the magneto (not shown) he set so that normally the rupture of the primary circuit occurs earlier when the lever is advanced, it cannot occur until the engine reaches the top of the compression stroke,

since the? armature cannot move until the pawl, f, is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet, a, this having been set to occur at the top of the compression stroke. It follows that it is possible where desirable to work with fixed ignition without controlling levers of any kind. It is not necessary to set the magneto slightly advanced, this being retarded by the mechanism for starting purposes. When the spark has occurred and the speed of the engine begins to inunder the action crease, the pawl, f, has insuficient time to fall into the slot, b, on the ratchet, a, and it is carried over by its own inertia, and as it is slightly cut away on its face in order to overcome the wear that would result from the constant jumping of the pawl as it passes over the slot the before mentioned balance weight, n, is provided which under the influence ofthe centrifugal force overcomes the spring, g, and holds the pawl, 7, out of engagement.

I claim:

A driving connection of the type referred to comprising in combination a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a lever upon the driving shaft, a sleeve mounted upon the driven shaft, a spring having one end connected with the driving shaft and the other end connected with said sleeve, a stationary hollow ratchet, a pawl within said ratchet and pivoted upon the aforesaid sleeve, a weight connected with said pawl and adapted to be engaged with the aforesaid lever on the driving shaft for the purpose of releasing the pawl from the ratchet and a stop upon the sleeve for engaging said lever, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MARCUS PATTON.

\Vitnesses:

ROBERT JAMES Roms, JAMES LAMONT. 

